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The idea behind this document is to create a guide to buying a used car in Sri Lanka.
This is just my preliminary draft, and if it's useful I hope the experts here will add/edit it, and create a final detailed guide, which maybe could be posted somewhere in autolanka (if they think its useful)
Buying a used vehicle in Sri Lanka
(This applies to purchase of a used car regardless of the price/age, and applies to all registered and 'reconditioned' vehicles.)
1. tests you can perform:
================
Engine
====
Before starting:
- check the engine oil. Is it at the correct level?
Yes: OK/Owner topped up
No: Owner does not top up, engine burning oil, etc
Color of oil
- Light brown/colorless - engine is running reasonably good/recent service
- black - engine running bad/never serviced
Note: diesels tend to have dark/black engine oil
After starting
Did it start easily?
Yes: OK
No: problems in engine/battery/starter motor/tune/etc.
does the exhaust show visible smoke (white, black, bluish or grey smoke)?
this coud indicate engine problems such as oil burning, worn engine etc.
-- note: diesels do occationally smoke a bit, especially under acceleration
does it maintain operating temperature?
- listen to the engine in idle - do you hear clattering, rattling, or any odd sounds? they could indicate various problems ranging from bent valves to broken mounts?
note: diesels are somewhat louder than normal gasoline engines
Test drive
===========
Lets say you decide to go for a test drive..
.. Step out of the vehicle, and ask the owner to get it out of his driveway/car sale etc. As he does this observe the vehicle, and see if it smokes or struggles during the procedure.
Look at the place where the vehicle was parked. If there is visible engine oil/coolant, etc this could indicate problems in the vehicle. (water may be visible from the car's A/C, this is normal).
Ask the owner to drive you:
1. Along a rough road (so you can test the suspension)
2. On a good road, ask the owner to drive up to at least 56km/h (or whatever local speed limit) so you can see how the vehicle performs at high speed.
Turn OFF the radio and A/C and listen to the car for rattles/hums
Tip: a hum from front/rear may indicate need to replace wheel bearings (or what our people refer to as razors)
- Stop the car and ask the owner to back up a small hill, and observe the car exhaust for smoke, this is a good test of the clutch/etc.
Actual test drive:
- First make sure the vehicle has insurance and road licence which are valid. Ask to see them. Then test drive the vehicle very carefully. Make sure you have a good flat road and there is very little traffic. Remember its an unfamiliar vehicle and proceed with caution.
First, test the clutch and brakes. The clutch should engage neatly before releasing the pedal fully. If it engages very late, it could mean a blown clutch plate.
If there are clutch/brake problems, don't drive any further, and ask the owner to resume driving. And ask yourself whether you are sure you want to buy this car, from someone who couldnt even do basic maintenance.
Reviewing the owner
How the owner behaves during the test drive can give you a clue of how s/he uses the vehicle in real life. For example:
- Does he roll down the window and drive (even though there is an A/C) - this may indicate that the A/C rarely worked.
- Does he drive like a rally driver (in which case you can buy the car if you are willing to buy an extra engine, transmission and suspension)
How has s/he spent on the car? If he has spent a lot on cosmetics while ignoring real existing mechanical problems, then you should probably consider another car.
Is s/he straightforward and honest? Does what the owner says match up to what you see? For example, if the owner said the car had 2 owners in total and the log book copy shows 4 owners, then they could be lying about other things, and you should be cautious.
Sometimes owners make mistakes, or simply don't know an answer, but overall if the owner appears to be honest and straightforward, that is a positive sign.
[Ask Questions
As you review the car, ask questions from the owner. If you see anything odd, ask about it. If the owner is honest and straightforward, its a positive sign. Try to gauge how much of what the owner is telling is the truth. A good way to do this is to pretend you don't know something and ask a question.
After the test drive
============
After you return to the owners house/car sale, ask the owner to pop the hood and inspect the engine.
- check temperature management. The gauge inside the car should be half or less. Aside from the gage, the engine should be reasonably managing temperature and the fans should be working properly.
- Carefully tap the radiator cap with the tip of your finger. If it burns your finger off, the temperature management isnt good. Similarly the engine bay should not be boiling hot (unless it's a Nissan )
Physical inspection of vehicle
=====================
1. Visual inspection:
simply look at the car - see if the lines are straight. Look at the paint. Uneven areas could indicate repainting.
- look at the wheel arches. Look at the brakes. Look under the car (front/rear) If possible, take the car to a service station and inspect the underneath. If this is not possible, try to look under the car and see what is visible at least - (carry a flashlight with you when you go to see the car).
- look for rust, damage, etc.
- look at the engine compartment. Are there odd wires and do things look as if they have been messed with?
Sometimes legitimate mods (e.g. alarm systems, aftermarket headlamps) require new wiring but if you see a mess inside, it probably means the wiring has been messed up by local mechanics in which case you should think carefully whether you really want this car.
- (If the vehicle is cold) carefully open the radiator cap - check if it contains coolant, and if there is any signs of oil (could indicate a head leak)
Look at the engine. If it has a slight layer of dust its OK. If it is shiny and has a layer of oil that means it has been washed at a service station. I prefer a car which has a normal slightly dusty engine vs one that has been washed and scrubbed to 'look' new.
- look for leaks in radiator pipes.
(with the engine off) remove the engine oil cover - if you can see nice clean silver metal with perhaps yellow brown color (engine oil) this is a positive sign. (note: diesels do tend to have dark/black engine interior, this refers to gasoline vehicles only).
- Look at the fluid levels of the various fluids (power steering, brake fluid, auto transmission if auto) - if they are not up to level it could indicate leaks or careless owner.
- if the vehicle is hot you may be able to open the radiator overflow tank (be careful) and check if he uses coolant.
Not using coolant indicates:
1. Owner is an idiot
2. Radiator has leak and owner is topping it up with ordinary water.
Either case, don't buy the car.
2. Tap test
gently tap the body of the car, with a fingernail (dont rap it loudly) as you walk around. Check the hood, front left and right side and back carefully, also doors (as these are the main accident prone areas).
Other general ideas:
- Ask the owner what maintenance was performed. If he tells you a list of things replaced/repaired, this is usually a good sign and means the owner took some effort to look after car.
- check the mileage? Mileage can be modified - but if it corresponds with the appearance of the vehicle then it could be accurate.
- ask for receipts particularly for the timing belt/clutch etc
HAS THE VEHICLE BEEN SERVICED/WASHED?
If the owner was so cheap that he couldn't service the vehicle before he sold it, then do you really want to buy a car from him/her?
*Exception*: Sometimes the owner may be actively using the car in which case it may be a bit dusty but all the same he/she should have washed/serviced/detailed the car within a few days of deciding to sell it.
Now Consider the actual condition of the vehicle and make a list of all problems you encountered:
Scenario 1: vehicle has major problems which can be fixed
=====================================
for example:
- Clutch plate gone.
- brakes not too good.
-minor suspension probs (e.g. weak shocks).
- minor engine probs (e.g. poor tune up).
Indicates that the seller was a cheap idiot (or typical local)
Verdict: Buy with caution, knowing there could be other existing problems, and repair BEFORE YOU DRIVE said vehicle.
Scenario 2: Vehicle has minor problems which can be fixed later
=========================================
- A/C not running cold enough.
- Minor dings, dents, scratches.
- Minor cosmetic issues.
Verdict: Buy the car, but set aside money to fix those problems later on.
Scenario 3: Vehicle has major problems which can't be fixed easily
===========================================
- Chassis problems (cracks/bent chassis)
- major engine problems (e.g. grey/white/black smoke, burning oil, head gasket leaks)
- major suspension/mechanical problems
- gearbox problems which would necessitate replacing gear box... so on.
Verdict: don't buy the car, unless you own a garage, have a million to spare, or are plain crazy.
Other costs
Aside from the above, there are a number of things you usually have to do, when purchasing ANY used car. These usually include:
- Insurance & road licence.
- 4 tires.
- full service/oil change/air filter etc.
- brake pads/etc
- New battery (if existing battery not too good).
- Timing belt (if close to 100k km's or multiples of that). Many people will say they replaced the belt, they could be lying. It's easier to spend 10k and replace it than to undergo a broken belt and engine rebuild. If they have replaced the belt, you can get a good garage to visually inspect it.
signs of a good vehicle:
- Vehicle is clean. (As in, the owner has washed, cleaned, and serviced it.)
- is in good mechanical condition (good engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, body)
- owner has focused on maintaining the mechanical condition of the vehicle
- Vehicle has been maintained properly and scheduled maintenance has been done, e.g. brakes, clutch, timing, etc have been replaced at the proper intervals as necessary.
- owner cares about vehicle, services regularly, engine oil is not dirty
- owner is upfront and honest about any flaws.
- owner uses a good garage for maintenance, and used original/quality components
Suggestion 1: To all the experts here, can you please add your comments/suggestions tips on buying a used car.
Suggestion 2: Would it be possible for Autolanka readers/Admins to set up a car pricing guide? This could be something updated regularly to show average true market values (like edmunds.com) and be useful to people looking to purchase a car.
If any Autolanka readers have suggestions on what they check when buying a used car, please add them here.
Update:
Top gear have some excellent tips here:

Hi Everyone
Recently I went though some interesting details while doing an ECO test. The test passed but I thought everyone should know the details. This applies to both diesel and petrol vehicles.
1. My vehicle has very low emission standards after an overhaul 20,000KMs ago, 1kz-te turbo diesel engine maintained by Toyota and the test was done soon after a service.
2. The test failed when the officer stepped on the engine and reved it over 5000RPM. Simply the guy stepped on the accelerator in 1 second (I timed it). The engine smoked all 3 times because it failed to calibrate intake and output ratios of diesel with the turbo lagging after 1 second rampage to the floor. it was always an under burn because the engine was trying to respond to an overfed intake, By the time the equilibrium was found the test was on the last last few seconds. Therefore the average test reading failed.
3;. Having some knowledge on the subject matter, I started arguing on the test result and the way it was performed. I claimed that the person incharge was not trained on fundamentals. Despite my option to take the test within another 60 days after so many repairs listed to overcome the problem, I opted to do the test again in 30 minutes after the next person in line. The test passed, the engine had fraction of emissions, almost equal to a common rail direct injection engine.
4. I did not go on the easy way of throwing money at the problem of influencing the officers.
What happened here? Let me explain.
1. An engine cannot respond to an immediate floor level acceleration in 1 second. The test says - take it over 3500-4000RPM in 3 seconds. What happens is, there is a notice on the computer instructing "ACCELERATE" and the guy ramps to the floor. Engine reaches the red zone of the RPM counter. My 2nd test was done between 3500-4500RPM with proper acceleration.
2. The engine that runs on 5000-7000RPM blows all the smoke dust that is accumulated inside the silencer over 1 year. We NEVER rev engines over 4000RPM on normal running. Not even on an up climb. It is only on an occasional quick deathly overtake and even that I doubt over 5000RPM. The testing should NEVER force an engine to this range. Any engine manufacturer has a warning on red zone RPMS that will definitely damage the engine. The simple colour indicating the RED zone of RPM is to avoid going there.
3. They do the test in this crazy way to reject the engines because there is pressure from the authority (RMV) to stop the smoking. RMV has started penalizing the test officers for passing tests of those engines that are later smoking on the road. This is now going in the typical Sri Lankan viscous cycle of hitting the consumers. Consumers spend over Rs5000-10,000/= to temporarily clean up injectors and replace air cleaners. Some even wash the silencer inside. However the motive behind 1 second floor acceleration is to play safe and fail the engines to avoid penalties by officers conducting the tests. Even if RMV catches on the road the records will indicate that it was failed once.
One other reason to rev up is, the actual RPM and the echo based RPM reading on the computer is showing a difference to the lower side. Therefore they floor it to compensate the gap.Instead of doing all this unprofessional over protective conduct of tests, what they really should have is a good software that takes the tester through a good acceleration cycle with a graphical illustration. If the government is so keen on this and care about the environment they should CERTIFY this software and regulate proper usage. if we do not get this properly established like in other countries, lot of innocent people who are not conversant on the detail are going to spend a lot of money when they are already finding it difficult to make ends mean.
My polite request - Share is with many people as possible. My intention of writing this is for someone to get this forwarded with proper influence to the Minister of Transport and Commissioner of RMV.
For those who go and get into this sad pit, know your rights, show the vehicle manufacturers manual, argue, demand your rights as consumers but be genuine with emissions. We have to protect the world for our younger generation. If your engine is bad get it fixed.
Regards
Nana

Here's a write up on my Daily Driver - the new Civic 1 Litre Turbo - I've so far done just a bit over 1500 Km's and since the engine was new didn't really push it to the max and I have not yet been able to do a really long trip or a drive uphill to BUT I will continue to update the blog based on the experiences as well as services etc. For a start I will touch the basics as well as all the cosmetic stuff and then get into the overall driving experience and later on the services etc. There is also a dedicated thread in the forum that is quite informative. But I hope this blog will also prove useful to someone.
First of all the basics....
In a nutshell the 2017 Civic is the 10th generation in the line up. The particular model I have, and is getting popular in SL goes under the model code FK6 and has a P10A2 engine which has a measly 988cc but is turbocharged.
The car is made in the UK (at Honda's Swindon Plant). I have heard that the agents now bring it down as well. (6.2M for the SR)
There are 3 grades for the 1L turbocharged civic. SE, SR and the EX.
The SE is the most basic model with the EX being the highest (the Tech pack is a further extension of the EX) There is roughly a 5,000 GBP (~ 1 Mil LKR) price difference between the SE and the EX. The SR on the other hand sits comfortably in the middle - it does not have stuff like adaptive damper system that comes on the EX. The Honda UK website lists down the differences of each grade under a section called 'Build your Honda' or something. If you're interested do have a look.
There are 7 colors available and the Rallye Red is the standard . Every other color will cost around 500 GBP more . There is also the "Orange Line Pack" - which is basically an accessory kit that adds a touch of orange into everything - I've seen a few such cars in car sales in SL. Though I initially contemplated Sonic Grey, ended up with a Polished Metal Metallic specimen.
With the 2017 Budget a new tax structure was introduced and under the engine capacity based taxation you'd be paying 17.5 m in taxes (1,754,976 LKR to be precise) for a brand new car with reasonable creature comforts and a bunch of bells and whistles which costs something between 4-5 mill based on the grade ( see above )
First Impressions
For me the new Civic hatch looks like someone started designing and spent too much time doing a good job with the front and then ran out of time to design the posterior and hastily put an end to it. This explains the rather weird looking behind. The Sedan version I have to admit looks better. There's also waay too much plastic in the rear so much so that it looks like a joint venture between Honda and Arpico.
There's a bit of aggressive styling at the front. The car is quite wide and it has a solid ground hugging look to it.
As for the supposed vents you see at the front and the back - well those are fake. They're simply pieces of plastic made to look like vents. And yes it does have fog lights. I like the factory fitted black 17" alloys. Note the SE comes with 16" Alloys as opposed to the 17" found in the SR.
Being a brand new car it came with a humongous bible-like user manual (thankfully in English) - along with the wheel lock nut as well as the tool kit and the tire repair kit (glue and the inflator which by now we are used to) If any of you intend to buy one from a regular car sale make sure they give you your wheel lock nut.

What kinda of cheap fools are you guys?!?!?!?! Just cos the warning indicator comes on, doesnt mean whatever you run after that you get free petrol or anything. And you're not saving anything by running on the last few drops of petrol.. in fact you're loosing out by doing it..
1- all the dirt and residue lies at the bottom of the tank and that means if ur running on the last few drops of petrol ur sucking that into the fuel system and harming your engine in the long run.
2- when you're tank has less petrol that means there's more air in it. Which means more space for the petrol to evaporate into the air and just float away when you open your gas tank at the pump.
So stop being stupid and cheap and make sure you have at least a 1/2 tank in your tank... u dont save money by running on an empty tank...

It's been little more than 4 years with my Hiace and it has done around 76,000kms so I thought its time I give you guys an update on it.
Let me start the blog with the basics,
Mine is a Toyota Hiace KDH206, this variant of Hiace is fitted with a 1KD-FTV turbo engine with an all wheel drive system. The AWD system in the KDH series is pretty much full time, it runs on all four wheels normally and if any of the wheels experience a slippage, the vehicle stops sending power to that specific wheel.
There is a noticeable difference between the AWD variant(KDH206) and RWD variant(KDH201). The KDH206 is around 100kg heavier and you could feel that through the steering when you drive one. In addition, the KDH206 feels far more planted at higher speeds and around corners than the RWD variant. However the downside is that the full time AWD system drinks bit more fuel than RWD version.
Cost of Maintenance
In short the Hiace is not cheap run, I get fuel economy of around 6km/l in kandy and around 9-10km/l outstation, the RWD KDH201 would return around another extra 2km more per litre. Hiace is originally fitted with 195/80R15 8ply tyres and they cost around 22-23.5K per tyre from brands like Continental or Pirelli, while Maxxis tyre could be found for around 16k.
The Hiace requires 0W-30 oil and a regular service which needs to be carried out every 5000km costs around 10K using Toyota oil, I was using Toyota oil filter as well, but now I have switched to VIC.
ATF oil must be changed around every 40k kms, I change air filter and cabin filter every year.
It requires super diesel and this is an absolute must, if you regularly pump auto diesel you will pay more in repairs than what you saved by pumping auto diesel. The most likely issues you would get from pumping auto diesel are DPF, which costs around 70-80k to replace and injectors, which would set you back around 500k for all four.
So far I had to change only a bush which costed around 50rs, apart from that I have not had any repairs.
Performance
The Hiace pulls pretty well for a vehicle which weighs 2 tonnes, the 1KD-FTV with a variable nozzle turbo produces 100kw at 3400RPM and 300nm of torque at 1200-3200rpm and it is connected to a 4 speed conventional automatic gearbox. Overtaking other vehicles with Hiace is pretty easy, you just have to put your foot down, the turbo will come to life and you would be gone. It is always on the right gear, there's no unnecessary downshifts or up shifts, the gearing ratios are perfectly synced with the power band of the engine although it is only a 4 speed gearbox in a world of 6 and 7 speed gearboxes.
The Hiace properly comes to life on hill climbs with the help of low end power and variable nozzle turbo.
Handling is fairly good for a van, it handles better than large SUVs. The KDH series has much less body roll compared to the previous LH series, but it isn't great as handling of a car. I notice the difference in handling when I drive the Hiace after driving our Bluebird which has front and rear independent suspension.
Comfort
It doesn't handle large potholes and bumps as good as a car, but it does manage to soften small potholes pretty well. The diesel engine noise is evident compared to a hybrid or petrol vehicle but the noise reduces when the vehicle gets to the third gear or at around 70+ km/h speed. The A/C is epic on the Hiace, it is one of the best cooling A/C I have come across, I rarely have to set the A/C temperature below 26 degree Celsius on auto mode and that is without the dual A/C.
There is plenty of space inside, 7 or 8 people could travel on long journeys with their legs stretched out and not crammed. The second row seat is the best place to be in, you get the dual A/C right in front of you, it is acoustic sweet spot and minimal sunlight enters the cabin.
Practicality
It is quite a practical vehicle if you are using it occasionally or for long journeys as it can seat 8 comfortably yet carry plenty of luggage(you could fit around 4-5 large travelling bag placed horizontally), it has got atleast double the amount of luggage space compared to a Noah/Esquire. However it is bit of waste of money if you are using it on daily basis as fuel bills are gone be crazy and parking these are not that easy within city limits. In addition, maneuvering these around narrow roads requires some skills especially roads with tight bends.
Second hand value and parts
Selling a KDH isn't difficult at all, if you maintain them right there will always be people willing it to buy it from you. There are plenty of body parts available but 1KD engine parts are bit difficult to find and even if you do find, it will be expensive
Some used parts prices are:
Pair of tail lights: 15k for older design and 30k for new design
Pair of headlight: more than 100k without the HID unit
Rear door: around 40k
Fog lights: around 20k
What I have done with my Hiace
The Modellista body kit came with the van from Japan itself and I added the Modellista grill later on
Original Toyota spoiler which came painted pearl white
I tinted the fog lamps yellow with Nightbreaker bulbs in them
I have also replaced the rear seats which are rotatable and come with a table as well
I have done some electronic mods as well,
Installed a transcend DrivePro 200
Carrozzeria tweeters with crossover
and JBL component speakers with crossover(thanks to @TheFlyingFox)
https://streamable.com/ujkce
I was planning on installing FIAMM horns, but the JDM side of my brain took over and I went with Mitsuba Alpha
https://streamable.com/nbipn
Note: click on the links to access the videos
My dad had the body kit removed for a short period of time and during that time I drove it through some muddy terrain. It did well.

Storing a car: 1. Clean the garage where the car is stored. If possible, remove all cans, bottles, junk, paper etc out of it. Sweep the floor. This is to get rid of rats, which may have already settled in your garage and to get rid of the dust and dirt. Never park the car outside, unless you have absolutely no choice. 2. Wash and vaccum the car once. This will remove dirt like crow droppings, which may damage the paint if it stays on the body for too long. Vaccuming will remove any dirt in the car, particularly food particles such as 'kadala', which may start smelling and attract insects. It will be a good idea to wax it too. 3. Get a trickle charger and connect to the battery. If its an old car (without an ECU), you don't need to do this. You can just disconnect the battery terminals. If you can't do this, make sure the battery is fully charged and its good enough to hold a charge. 4. Some websites will tell you to fill up on petrol. Don't do this. Petrol in Sri Lanka already contains water and chances are that water will vaporize. Also if the car is left in storage for long, fuel rails may get corroded due to the water in petrol. 5. If possible, remove the tires and place the car on jack-stands. If a tire loses all air in it, it might become permanently damaged. You may have to replace the tire(s). This will also remove the strain on the suspension. However, if you are storing the car for just a month or two, you don't need to do this. 6. Keep the handbrake OFF. If you keep it on, you will definitely get a brake bind. Place bricks behind the tires (if you didn't remove them) to prevent the car from moving. 7. Block the air inlet and exhaust pipe. This will prevent rats going in to the car. 8. For a relatively old car, apply some lithium grease (not petroleum grease) on door hinges and similar mechanisms. This is also optional. You don't need to do most of these things if you can start and move the car for a short distance, at least once a week. When starting a car after storage:
1. Give a good look at the surroundings of the car. Check if birds haven't made nests and cats haven't give birth on the wheel wells, under the engine or inside the rims. 2. Open the bonnet and check for evidence of rats. Look for droppings, chewed belts, signs of shavings of plastic. Check the air filter for any damage. 3. If you covered the air intake and exhaust pipe, make sure these are removed. 4. Check the fluid levels - engine oil, gear oil, brake oil, water. Peek under the car to see if you can spot any oil leaks. 5. Check the battery voltage and tire pressure 6. Start the car and run it in idle for a few minutes before moving. Check for misfires during this time. Most likely the engine will misfire due to water in petrol but hopefully it might go away after few minutes on idle.

Imagine you bought a luxury 2nd hand car for a lot less than an toyota econ box (eg- Jag X-type-2001 vs Toyota vitz - 2009)
Prices - jag (some where advertised at around 3mill) , Vitz (unreg - around 4 mill)
Efficiency- Jag - 6kmpl, Vitz - 12kmpl(in the real world, not in the toyota fan club)
If you run 12000km per year (should be less considering the mileage these cars show in their meters after some time )
The jag will cost Rs.300k , the vitz Rs.150k.
So you save Rs.150k on fuel,
But if you have invested the extra 1mill on the bank you get Rs.140k as interest.
So econfreaks get Rs.10k off every year. Use it for 100 years and you get you'r money back,
How fantastic I should consider an exchange to a vitz
The best thing is when you are at the lights and you'r back is aching you'r b*tt is tatooed with the cheap fabric seats and you'r cheap metal watch is rattling due to the vibration of the 1L 3 cylinder engine on the steering wheel, and the AC is blowing louder than you'r cheap aftermarket chinese tv system to keep you from not sweating, a jag parks next to you,
The guy in it who hasn't spent as much as you did is indulging in the whisper quiet interior, his b*tt on genuine English leather, arms held firmly on the leather warped wheel, piped music coming from his the high quality stereo.
Then the lights go green you understand the mistake you made and try to hit the lamp post to commit suicide, but unfortunately 8 airbags burst out from nowhere and it won't let end you'r sufferings.
This is just a description of what i would have felt if i used an econ-box,
The names of the vehicles where given as examples only

Just started my most ambitious resto project todate. It's a 1970's Alfa Romeo 2000 Berlina. Neglected very badly for many many years the body has rusted to a point that is scary.
I originally bought the car for its parts for my Giulia Coupe and even used some bits for my Alfetta GTV.
I was thinking of scrapping it many times but I could not get someone to come and dismantle it.
However recently my tinker who "retired" after completing my 3 Alfas called me and said he might be interested in doing some work again. I showed him this car and to my surprise he said that it could be saved. I was still quite skeptical though when I thought about the cost and effort required. I slept on it for a few weeks.
The more I thought about it though, it was hard to scrap this car for several reasons.
1. It's a classic Alfa Romeo - I mean just how many survivors are around in this country? You can count them with your fingers.
2. Although not a great looking car by Alfa standards, it's an inoffensive 132 bhp 5 speed Sedan with a glorious engine and gearbox.
3. This particular car has some good race history in this country.
4. Almost every fitting and trim bits are intact.
5. I'm a bit mad

Well it's mostly a straight road and he probably assumed he had sufficient traction on his tyres and I guess 100km/h by motorway standards is not really that fast, so I wouldn't call him a fool, perhaps something happened to make him veer off the road more than just lack of traction. Who knows?
But trust me if you drove 20km/h on a motorway you'll be offending other motorists, if you want to drive at that speed get on the galle road and while you say there is no minimum speed on the motorway, these are the things so many uneducated drivers start saying and make driving on that road dangerous.
When I was on it the other week, 8/10 drivers couldn't keep to a lane making overtaking dangerous.
Perhaps this is what happened: Someone thought 'no offence by driving in the middle, it's safe like that no?' and the idiot passengers probably thought 'no minimum speed limit no, so let's drive in the middle at 60km/h'. A CB3 Lancer may have been trying to overtake them going at 100 (because he has a beat barrel, no?) and finds he can't overtake the moron in the middle of the road. The moron then decides to pick a lane, going to the right, the Lancer then has to swing left, because he's an idiot too and has got too close (can't slow down cos he has a beat barrel) and goes off the road, crumples into a ball and lands on the farmer's cow. The original moron in the middle of the road said "ammatasiri see! Good thing we are going slow and in the middle like this"

Hi AL, Thought I'd share photos of my KE72V. Technically it's my father's but unofficially it's mine A little history on this- my father imported this KE72V DX in 1989 with 40,000kms on the ODO. It's been with us ever since! The milage now is a little over 141,000kms and it still purrs along without any issues. I'm in the process of restoring it to factory original specification but I'd love to replace the stock K40 transmission with a k50 (5speed) transmission. I would if I could find one for cheap!
I've even got the original seat covers! (I'm looking for another set, let me know if any of you good KE72 owners want to sell yours!)
Instrument cluster-
Future plans- I've already wet-sanded the entire body with 1500grit sandpaper in anticipation of a cut/polish job. Sadly that was a few months back and I spent all the money I had on another project! I'm hoping to cut/polish the paint soon. Both rear lamp lenses are cracked and missing bits so I'm searching for new lenses. My car is missing the fan shroud (better known as the 'radiator cover') that is essential for the factory AirCon to work. I've given up looking for an original so I'm going to try and get one scratch built. That's about it, hope you enjoyed my ride as much as I do! Thanks for stopping by and regards, Jay.
EDIT: I moved all my photos of the '72 to a separate album in Photobucket so had to repost the direct links. Hope they turn up!

I have a different way of looking at this.
Despite my taste and judging by almost all posts on this thread seems to lie elsewhere... whoever the owner of this car, put a lot of heartache, money, time and effort into building these things.
They have horrible design taste but you gotta appreciate the sheer effort to get something like this done. We all know how hard it is to get something simple done here.
So i'd say kudos to the effort! Just wish they had the exposure to learn about proper styling

Mr Money Maker,
I m not sure you have instilled the right name for yourself and since you seem to feel you have the capability of calculating car prices by looking at the internet let me give you a lesson on the duty and price of this particular car
Valuation given by the customs - 23 000 Pounds
Price of a sterling pound on the day of duty calculation- 205 SLR
Age of vehicle for duty calculation - 1 year
Depriciation scale- 80%
Duty Percentage for 1600 cc vehicles = 200%
Duty for this vehicle on the day of clearing = 23 000 X 205 X 0.8 X 2 = Rs 7,544 000
And the dealer price of this car would be between 19 000 -22 000 pounds depending on the mileage, condition and year of manufacture
If you take an approx figure of 20 000 pounds then the SLR Price would be approx = 20 000 X 205 = Rs 4,100 000
Which would give you a landed price = Rs 7,544 000 + RS 4 100 000 = Rs 11 644 000
This price is also without shipping and insurance which is another Rs 150 000 approx
These price have been calculated at a pound rate of 205 and the current rate today is 208 for a sterling pound
You obviously do not seem to know the difference between the standard DS3 and the DS3 racing.
Mr money maker i would not waste my time explaining to people like you, but on a public forum if you come and try to teach BRJW on your knowledge of the local car imports with prices without any proof then someone like you should be dealt with.
And my advice is you better not take to car imports any time soon cause with the prices you offer you can name yourself Mr Charity.
And for your information the car has been sold.

This notion of "fun" and boasting of excessive speeding has started to concern me a bit. From one hand we have a two lane motorway with a lot of bends with an inadequate hard shoulder. From another side we have inexperienced drivers experiencing a motorway for the first time. I am starting to worry our first pile up with multiple casualties is only around the corner .....
Stay safe boys and girls! A motorway is not for joy riding and remember its not only your life on the line! Most people when they venture south go with their families......

Ive just signed up for this site and all ive been seeing are that anytime someone puts up a question about a hybrid, flocks of users keeps insulting them on their vehicle. I really dont see what they have to hate them so much?? I own a prius 3rd gen and i can tell from over 2 years of use that although it may not be in the same class and far from the of looks as an exotic or be anywhere near a sports car in performance it does serve its purpose better than any other car ive used so far. Ive been using a 121 and ive been using beemers and several other US models and ive experienced first handed that this prius is much more reliable and much economical in every sense compared to other cars of the SAME price range. I am an avid lover of tuned modified cars and the prius does not make those come true but it still is one of the best cars ive ever driven. To anyone looking for a car which is reliable or economical i would recommend a prius although if looking for a cheap car it would not be bad to get a used 121 or civic (i am not a environmental freak btw though i do care for it :| )
The prius saves me a lot on gas and i mean a lot. i drive over 3000km per month both in colombo and to outstation locations. during long distance driving i ususally get over 20kmpl but if not going agressively i can get around 30kmpl while going at 50-70kmph. in rush hour traffic i get varying mileage while sometimes it may drop to 16kmpl but usually about 19-22kmpl. and considering the price of fuel it is a great saving considering i dont even have to use 95 octane. i was going to buy an allion 2011 but decided against it as the prius was full of options unlike the allion. someone here suggested that i test the pre collision system by driving at a wall or tree... and i did try it. but i instead drove it at a pile of cardboard boxes and for their info it did stop automatically without hitting it. and the radar cruise control is also a useful feature but i dont use it much considering our three wheel drivers and motor bikes. other maintenance stuff is also lower as the service has to be done only every 10000km and there is no need to change ATF oil or any belts. ive been using it for 40000km and the brake pads are almost like brand new. (in the corolla i would have to replace every 25000) the only problem is the stock ture size that came in the touring mode. the 17" 215 tires are a bit expensive but this problem is not there in the regular JP prius. ive yet to replace a single mechanical part and there have been no issues at all except that i drained the 12V battery once by listening to the radio in ACC mode for too long. another benefit is when the car is stopped you can use the AC without burning fuel. the performance is nowhere near a BMW or an american car but it does provide more power than the majority of vehicles in sri lanka (outside inner colombo ) and the acceleration response is better because of the motors. and in PWR mode it feels much better than an insight in S mode (though the sound of the engine is not at all sporty... sounds like an aircraft taking off)
On the contrary to what people say, the battery is as reliable as any other part of the car and the chance of your battery failing is almost nil unless you treat it badly which is the same for a gasoline car if you do not maintain the engine it will be damaged. and the battery can now be repaired by changing damaged cells which are about 7000 rupees only.
and i believe a reason people insult hybrid owners are because they drive slowly. thats the fault of the driver, not the car.. driving slow will not make it more efficient and ive seen people in jaguars and BMWs going slower than that.
to all who think hybrids are cheap vehicles. just because they are relatively cheap here, in japan they are about two time more expensive when used than a brand new allion..
AND i know some here are going to say im jobless to be typing this yeah. true. im doing this just because some people dont care about saving their hard earned money that doesnt mean they should insult others who do try. anyone who has any questions im willing to provide answers to the best i can.
and im open to any comments why your'll hate hybrids so much (P.S i did hate them before i bought one... so you should try it without being prejudiced)

Machan "pdeeban" don’t blow your own trumpet too much. Just because you got a permit and you go for a beamer will not make you special. Obviously I cannot afford 11mil, but honestly from the way you commenting, my guess is that the permit is not something you earned by your hard work and also you are one of those soda bottle millineries who got rich suddenly by favoring the ruling party, or by illegal business or you’re a dumb ass son of a rich father. So my advice is more you maintain silence, more you’ll doing a favor for yourself, especially in a forum like AL.

Bullsh*t.
Sad to see that you haven't changed that shortsighted mentality of yours even after all these years.
Once a blinkered idiot, always a blinkered idiot I guess.
To The OP, Most modern diesel engines are completely differrent beasts than old lumps like the Toyota C, L engines and the Nissan QD's etc. Stuff like common rail injection, Variable geometry turbos and so on all lead to an engine that has much higher stresses put upon it than the diesels of old. That is partly why modern diesels are very powerful and even more economical than ever before. All in all, this means that durability is reduced somewhat compared to the older lumps that could take 200-250,000 Km between rebuilds.
This is not a problem common to the koreans either, even modern Toyota common Rails like the D4D's found in the Prados, hiluxes and so on can do maybe 150,000 Km before they too need to be redone. So contrary to what the so called "engineer" who replied first tells you, this is a problem common to most modern diesel engines, simply because of the stresses put on them.
Another factor (In SL at least) is the quality of our Diesel. Most modern engines need clean diesel with a very low Sulfur content. Even our Super diesel is not quite good enough compared to what you get in other countries but it is certainly WAY better than the normal diesel. This is why all agents who sell modern diesels generally say very clearly to only use super diesel. Unfortunately, because the Korean SUV's are pretty reasonably priced, most of the time our donkeys (like the "engineer" up there) decide that they know better than the agent and the manufacturer, and pump normal diesel. Which of course leads to the engine getting buggered early on.

There used to be a time in this country where people raised hell when they got ripped off. Now they just open autolanka accounts.
When you look at these people, it's really no wonder that the government can do what ever it wants. Welcome to Sheep Lanka. A land like no other.

Seems there were some other things mentioned which Peri has kindly cleaned up. And I agree with you as well, common decency has to go both ways.
But as it is said in Buddhism, anger breeds anger. There is no point of trying to fight fire with fire. I think my advice to anybody on this forum is, if somebody posts something factually incorrect point it out, if you have a different opinion feel free to air it and everybody must understand by virtue of you publishing your opinion you are also inviting others to challenge it and that is how a forum works. We all have to learn to take criticism without restoring to bad language name calling and personal attacks and accept the diversity of opinions that exist
But there is still such a thing as etiquette and if you don't like an individual or what he has to say, I think the best way to deal with it is just ignore that individual.
Anyway, since Sylvi and Watchmen have both had their say, its time to move on..........

Sad to see member camaraderie being abused like this.I've had AL members give me free parts and services when they found out that I'm in to classics.All in the name seeing a car they liked but couldn't own come back to life.To take that generosity and use it for financial gains would be the lowest of the low...

Great.. I have a question. I have this cooking pan that I made dahl in and i left it too long on the cooker.. Can you recomend what I can use to clean it. I tried Vim and Sunlight but it didnt work... A quick response is much appreciated since i need to cook dinner in the same pan tonight.

‎- Since 2004 I've been coming for Drags, taking part and wishing that one day an event legally held at green path would happen... finally it did! The reason why an event like this becomes a success is simply down to the people that take part... we are lucky to have a group of people that love what we do... race each other hard and at the end of the day are still great friends... I can say that through out this month, I've met some awesome people, made new friends and increased the love i have for this sport... Lets make damn sure that come January, Sri Lanka will stand out further for having some of the best prepared cars and more importantly a fantastic group of sportsman! Cheers to everyone who made this event happen and hats off to you all

Dear retard,
What I'm about to say might be hard for you to grasp but do try to anyway. A forum is only as good as it's senior members, and even then it's the ones who actually post. The problem here is people like you, who come in here with the same mundane questions even though we have answered them over and over again. The way this website has been able to run this long isn't because of idiots like you who ask people about the fuel consumption of axios, it's because of members that actually interact with each other and talk about real problems, cars and even entertaining each other by picking on retards like yourself. Another good reason this site has been doing well for so long is that it has been successful at retaining even the most senior of members. We don't get paid to be here, even the moderators (though some think we get paid by the post) so our presence is purely voluntary and if this site turned into the circcle jerk that you idiots want it to be, a lot of us would just leave. Think about what will happen if all the senior members left? This will be a site dedicated to fuel consumption threads and stories about how far uup the arse viva owners are wiilling to take it.
If you want to make this site better, how about making some good posts instead of whining like a 12-year-old school girl? It's whiny c*nts like you that are actually destroying this site and getting us all fed up of this b.s.
You are a man right? start acting like one instead of going around crying about how people hurt your feelings.